7 Nail Essentials from Celebrity Manicurist April Foreman

Celebrity manicurist April Foreman is the guru behind Charlize Theron and Natalie Portman's flawless fingertips and toes. Now she shares the 7 nail essentials everyone should have in their mani/pedi kits

Red Carpet looks are inspiring, but what really stirs up discussions in the Total Beauty office are the often-overlooked celebrity manicures.

Every morning we play beauty detective, zooming in on event photos, trying to figure out the exact lacquer shades and how to do the nail art trends A-listers are wearing. After all, while it may take a not-so-small miracle for us to look like Charlize Theron or Jennifer Lopez, we can try to imitate their nails and actually make some progress.

But here's some insider info: It takes more than knowing what nail polish colors to use to get a manicure that looks trendy and flawless. Celebrity manicurist and pedicurist April Foreman says the real secret is making sure these nail essentials are in your medicine cabinet. "The right tools will keep your skin soft and make your manicure last longer than it otherwise would," she says.

Foreman is no stranger to the Hollywood spotlight; she's been buffing and polishing the fingertips and toes of clients such as Natalie Portman and Christina Ricci for years. So when we had the chance to take a peek inside her mani/pedi toolkit, we couldn't wait to see her favorite nail essentials. Here are the must-haves Foreman says every woman should own.

I could benefit from cuticle oil since I do my own nails, and I moisturize, but for some reason, my right thumb is always dry! I bought Seche Vite at Sally's Beauty, but haven't tried it out yet since I'm trying to finish my other top coat bottle. I wonder if Sally's has a glass file.